Sping buzzes to a close with Chinese challenges and resource wars

A prominent theme these days is China … and that’s likely to continue for a long time. Folks interested in doing business with China had a chance to hear a horror story from ABRO (a South Bend company that had its identity as well as product stolen by a Chinese firm) at a World Trade Club lunch. Brave souls who would still like to do business in China will have two excellent opportunities to learn how to do it at an executive seminar put on by Barnes & Thornburg; and a splendid executive symposium by IU’s Kelley School of Business about doing business in China (as well as Brazil, Russia, and India). You can learn about China’s ever-increasing thirst for oil (and the economic and military implications that will have for the US) at a Sagamore Institute symposium on energy security May 18. Get a dose of Taiwanese-Chinese culture when the Dance Troupe of the Taipei College of Physical Education performs. And be reminded about the still repressive treatment of religious and other rights by the Chinese government at Marian College.

Another recurring theme: The international implications of scarcity of resources such as oil and water in places such as Asia and the Caucausus (Chechnya and Georgia). Lots of chances to learn.

Summer means many of the groups and universities that usually sponsor IndyBuzz-worthy events go on hiatus until the fall. But life gets even more interesting, with many fantastic art and cultural events. Those will be the focus of the next iteration of IndyBuzz …. Stay tuned.

To navigate IndyBuzz, start with the first posting (this one). It will have links to events arranged chronologically. Or you can scroll down through the events, keeping in mind that they will probably be out of the order in which they will occur. If you want to be added to an e-mail list informing you about new events in the Central Indiana area, send me an e-mail at john@sipr.org. As always, tell me about any events that should be publicized, and let me know what you think about the site in general. Distribute this as widely as you can ... the more people we get coming to events, the better will be the quality of our civic life.

May 16: James Morris, International Citizen of the Year

May 16: The Catholic Church in China – A talk at Marian College

May 18: Sudan's Crisis in Darfur -- A talk by Sarah Archer

May 18: Sagamore Symposium: Energy Security in Asia and Its Implications for US Policy

May 18: “Geostrategy and Petropolitics: Does US Energy Policy Make Any Sense?” -- a talk by Robert Ebel of the Center for Strategic and International Studies

May 21: The Dance Troupe of the Physical Education College of Taipei

May 23: China – Business Opportunities and Challenges

May 25: Global Water Issues -- talk by John Clark

June 6: EU and US policy toward the Caucausus -- Lunch and a Policy Roundtable discussion

June 24: Business in Brazil, Russia, India, and China – An executive symposium

June 6: A Discussion of the EU, the US, and the Caucausus

A lunch and policy roundtable by Jörg Himmelreich, Transatlantic Fellow at the German Marshall Fund sponsored by the Sagamore Institue, the American Council on Germany, and Indiana University Russian and East European Institute

When: Monday June 6, 1:00-2:30 PM

Where: Sagamore Institute for Policy Research (340 W. Michigan Street Indianapolis) Third Floor Conference Room

Americans were recently reminded of the importance and sensitive nature of the Caucasus region, thanks to President George W. Bush’s politically charged visit to Georgia earlier this month—the first by a U.S. president. Bush’s trip serves as the ideal backdrop for a Policy Roundtable with Dr. Jörg Himmelreich, a transatlantic fellow at the German Marshall Fund in Washington, D.C., where he is examining the respective policies of the United States, the European Union, and Russia toward the Caucasus. He is also exploring opportunities for U.S.-EU cooperation in the region. Dr. Himmelreich previously served at the German Foreign Office, where he worked as a policy planner in 2004. In that capacity, he analyzed political developments in Russia, the Black Sea Region, the Caucasus, and Ukraine and developed proposals for German and EU policies in these regions. Prior to his stint at the Foreign Office, Dr. Himmelreich worked with the DaimlerChrysler Board of Management, where he focused on political and economic relations in Russia, Central Asia and Eastern Europe and convened meetings of heads of state from these areas. He previously served as director of investment banking for media and communications for the London office of European commercial bank WestLB. He established and directed the bank’s Moscow subsidiary from 1996 to 2000. Dr. Himmelreich has also held appointments as head of privatization of the construction industry at the Federal German Trust Agency, as junior professor at the Institute for Public Law at the Free University of Berlin, and as assistant to the Berlin Court of Appeals.

There will be a $20 charge for this program, although it is complimentary for members of the SIPR Founders’ Club and ACG members. Please RSVP to maureen@sipr.org by June 1 (acceptances only). Call Maureen Lee at 317-472-2050 (ext. 305) with any questions.

June 24: Business in Emerging Markets -- Brazil, Russia, India, China

An Executive Symposium sponsored by the IU Kelley School of Business and the Center for International Business, Education, and Research

When: Friday June 24, 7:30 AM -- 1:30 PM

Where: IUPUI's University Place Conference Cener Auditorium in downtown Indianapolis.

Have you read Tom Friedman's new book, The World is Flat: A Brief History of the 21st Century? Hoosiers will get a thrill and a chill, and not only because Friedman has a section called "India or Indiana?" A thrill because of the dizzying opportunities of globalization opening by the hour. A chill because it's hard to see how we can compete with some many ambitious individuals and companies around the world.

Maybe the best way to understand how to cope with the booming and soon-to-boom emerging markets will be at this symposium, put on by the IU Keley School of Business and CIBER. What a great list of speakers they have lined up:

Steven M. ChapmanVice President, International and President, International Distributor Business Unit (IDBU) for Cummins Inc. Chapman is the vice president, international, and president of the International Distributor Business Unit at Cummins Inc. a leading player in the emerging markets. Following his graduate degree from the Yale School of Management, Chapman has spent several years in Asia and travels extensively, establishing Cummins’ businesses in all of the BRIC markets.

Richard A. Smith: President, Eli Lilly Asian Operations Limited for Hong Kong, China. Smith is the president of Eli Lilly Asian Operations, based in Hong Kong. He was instrumental in opening Lilly affiliates in 21 countries in Central and Eastern Europe including Russia, and continues to oversee Lilly’s operations in India and China. A pharmacy graduate from South Dakota, Smith serves as the Industry Co-Chairman of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation’s (APEC) Life Sciences Innovation Forum.

Horacio A. Forjaz: Executive Vice President of Corporate Communications for Embraer of San Paulo, Brazil. Forjaz is executive vice president of corporate communications at Embraer, an international leader in small aircraft manufacturing. An electronic engineering graduate from Brazil’s Instituto Tecnológico da Aeronáutica (ITA), Forjaz has worked with Embraer for more than 30 years and has steered the company’s planning and marketing activities across the globe.

Davinder S. Brar: Chairman of Davix Management Services in New Delhi, India. Brar is the chairman of Davix Management Services, a consulting company specializing in biosciences. He is also a director of the Central Board of Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which is the central bank of India, and sits on the boards of several businesses and schools in India. As president and CEO of Ranbaxy Laboratories, a position he held until July 2004, Brar was instrumental in steering the Indian pharmaceutical company’s globalization

Changqi Wu, the associate dean, department head, and professor of strategic management at Guanghua School of Management, Peking University. Professor Wu received his Ph.D. in applied economic sciences (1990) from the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium and sits on the boards of several publicly listed companies in China.

Steven McVeigh Former CEO of Sakhalin Energy Investment Corporation of Moscow, Russia. McVeigh is a business consultant and until recently, the CEO of Sakhalin Energy Investment Corporation (SEIC), a position he held until December 2004. McVeigh pioneered some of Shell’s projects in Russia. A civil engineering graduate from the University of Missouri, McVeigh has worked for 32 years with Shell, in several domestic and international assignments.

Registration fee for the BRIC Symposium is $125 per person, or $500 for a group of five individuals from the same company. The rate for faculty and students is $60 per person. For more information and on-line registration, go to http://kelley.iupui.edu/bric/default.cfm

May 23: China -- Business Opportunities and Challenges

A seminar on the pros and cons of establishing operations in China’s global market

When: Monday May 23 -- Registration 1:00-1:30; Seminar 1:30-4:30; Reception 4:30-

Where: Barnes & Thornburg (11 S. Meridian St.) in Indianapolis

The program, which is sponsored by Barnes & Thornburg, Fifth Third Bank and Katz, Sapper & Miller, is designed for owners and executives of Indiana middle-market companies who are considering the opportunities and the challenges of doing business in China. Attendees will hear from owners of Indiana-based companies already working in China and from Chinese business and legal advisors.

Scheduled topics include a discussion of some of the various risks and legal, tax and accounting implications of doing business in China, as well as a discussion of some of the cultural issues.
Registration for the seminar is from 1-1:30 p.m. with the seminar taking place from 1:30-4:30 p.m. A reception will be held immediately following the presentation. The seminar is free and open to business owners and executives in Indiana.

For more information or to register, contact Deb Hallberg by calling (317)-231-7356 or by e-mail at Deb.Hallberg@btlaw.com

May 21: The Dance Troupe of Taipei Physical Education College

A performance by one of the Dance Troupe of Taipei Physical Education College, one of the world's leading folk dance groups

When: 7 p.m. Saturday, May 21, 2005

Where: Shelton Auditorium, Christian Theological Seminary 1000 W. 42nd St., Indianapolis

The Taiwanese American Cultural Festival, featuring a performance by the Dance Troupe of Taipei Physical Education College, will be part of the celebration of Taiwanese American Heritage Month, as well as in commemoration of 25th anniversary of the Sister State Relationship between Indiana and Taiwan and 26th anniversary of the Sister City Relationship between Indianapolis and Taipei.

I saw this Troupe on TV in Taipei, they are GOOD. They present a very nice balance of Chinese, Hakka, and aboriginal A-Mei dances.

You can get more information about the program here or here.

Tickets: Free admission and only by reservation. The reservation is on the first come first serve basis. Please send your request including your full name and number of tickets to taaindiana@yahoo.comby May 14.

May 16: The Catholic Church in Communist China

Free Lecture by Fr. Albert Haase, veteran of ten years of teaching and business in China

When: Monday, May 16 7:00 PM

Where: Marian College (3200 Cold Spring Road Indianapolis) Allison Mansion, Overlook Room


The Communist Chinese government requires Christians to worship only in state-controlled associations, such as the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA), which eschews connections with the Vatican or the Pope. Many Catholics worship in illegal, underground churches, following only bishops appointed by the Pope. Many priests and laypeople, and even bishops, are members of the CCPA in public, and of the underground Church, in secret. After watching what Pope John Paul II did to communism in Poland and the Soviet bloc, maybe the Chinese Communist Party leaders are being prudent ... but that is no excuse for this repression of basic human rights.

Fr. Albert Haase, OFM holds a Ph.D. in historical theology from Fordham University and lived in China for 10 years. As a priest, he taught English in Chinese universities in Wuhan and Beijing for over three years. From teaching, he moved to the business world as the director of human resources for Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. As the human resources (HR) director for Deloitte's Beijing office, he was responsible for 350 Chinese employees.He is currently a member of the faculty at Quincy University. He is the author of the book "Swimming in the Sun" and "Instruments of Christ" and co-author of "Enkindled: Holy Spirit, Holy Gifts." His audiocassettes include "Toward Freedom and Joy: Living God's Presence" and "Apples in Eden: Seven Deadly Sins."

Fr. Albert's visit to Marian College is sponsored by the "Rebuild My Church" program and the Franciscan Center for Global Studies. Both received initial funding from Lilly Endowment, Inc.To learn more about Marian College, the "Rebuild My Church" program, and the Franciscan Center for Global Studies, visit www.marian.edu.

Welcome to IndyBuzz

IndyBuzz provides information about Central Indiana's most stimulating and thought provoking events -- discussions and conferences, art exhibitions, films, music performances. It tells you what's happening … explains why you should be part of what’s happening. More than an events calendar, though, IndyBuzz tries to make events more meaningful for participants by suggesting an article or two to read before the event, recommending books or websites that will be sources of further information after the event, and pointing out related events that are worth attending.

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